Pets make my life more enjoyable every day. Whether I'm discovering a "surprise" in my shoe, stroking a soft kitty belly, or writing with a cuddly critter on my lap, every moment I spend with them is a delight. They often make me laugh. They rarely make me cry, though, I must admit, some of the heroic pet stories I discovered online for this blog post series certainly did.

The larynx is a little structure made of cartilage that sits in the throat and opens into the trachea, or windpipe. When the animal breathes in, the cartilages that make up the larynx are pulled apart to allow air to flow through. When the animal swallows, the larynx closes up to force food into the esophagus rather than into the airways. Laryngeal Paralysis in dogs is a condition whereby due to dysfunction of the nerve or muscles that control the larynx, the laryngeal cartilages are not pulled apart when the animal breathes.

As dogs get older, their fur may gray. They become less mobile, and their senses are less acute. These are changes that naturally occur with age, in dogs as well as humans. However, if you've noticed that your senior dog seems to be confused, is acting distant, or has a dramatically altered personality, another issue may be afoot. Whether referred to as dementia or canine cognitive dysfunction, physical and chemical changes in the brain are the cause.